In Your Corner | ✓

Two

Red-hot fire flickers through my lungs and seeps into bones, threatening to consume me entirely as I struggle to breathe properly on the field.

It shouldn't, given that I usually get up early every morning to go to the gym before class, but somehow, today's game is making me increasingly exhausted.

We're 3-2 up and are in the last ten, but we're only just managing to keep it together. It's been a tough game for us and I know I should be doing better than I am.

"Nat, we need some more talking from you!" Coach yells from the sidelines. "Lead the defence!"

I know she's looking for more leadership at the back from me, since I'm the vice-captain and our captain is up front.

Nodding at Coach, I clap my hands together as we wait for the other team to deliver the corner they've just won. "Mark up, girls! We've still got ten to go, don't settle!"

The corner comes in and flies over my head to our left-back, Riona. She headers the ball away effortlessly and Georgie drops from left wing to pick it up, sending it down the pitch.

"Brilliant, Rio," I shout, clapping my hands together again. "Well done, G!"

I've always believed in positive reinforcement on the field acknowledging it when they the girls have done something well.

Georgie's pass lands almost exactly by Kat, who dribbles it along the line, passing by her marker and crosses it into the box.

Grayson gets a foot on the end of it, but it sails just over the bar and she groans in disappointment, burying her head in her hands.

"Head up, Gray!" Kat yells, as one of the other forwards, Farah, claps Gray on the back.

"Right idea, Gray," Georgie chimes in, jogging backwards to reset and be ready for the goal kick.

We've always been pretty good at communicating with each other on the field.

The rest of the game continues just like that, with neither team making an impact.

When the final whistle blows, I sag in relief that we held out and won. Rio jumps onto my back with an excited squawk, throwing her arms around my neck. "We did it!" she bellows right in my ear, despite the fact that might burst my eardrum.

I'm too pumped on the adrenaline, though, so I just laugh and spin her around, not caring that it makes the pair of us dizzy.

Rio gets off my back so we can shake hands with the other team, who, despite the loss, are all very friendly.

"Are you guys heading off straight away?" Grayson asks the opposite team's captain from beside me. "We're all heading to Smith's in a bit, if you're not heading home."

Grayson has always been a model leader and player. There's no one in the college soccer league quite like her in terms of sports conduct and discipline. She's always so friendly to the teams we're playing against and makes sure to invite them out with us after a home match, even though a lot of them decline, given they need to get back home.

At a party, it's a completely different story and she's as wild as they come, but none of that gets in the way of her captaincy.

She makes being her vice-captain so easy and the friendliness she exudes is just one of the many positives about her.

The other team captain shakes her head regretfully. "No, sorry. We've got to scoot back, but thanks so much for the invite."

She walks away and Gray swings an arm over my shoulders, pulling me close to her. "You're coming out tonight, too, right, Nat? We need to celebrate that victory, you know."